History is filled with useful information.
Originally shared by John Hardy
In which a pedant protests too much about a meme he saw on the internet.
The flood myth is actually a Sumerian story inherited by the Hebrews (and indeed the entire Eastern Mediterranean). This meme is simply wrong in saying that they didn't record a major flood. They did and the flood seriously set their civilisation back. The Sumerian king list has entries from before and after the flood.
Dumuzid, the Shepherd "the shepherd"10 sars
"Then Bad-tibira fell and the kingship was taken to Larag."En-sipad-zid-ana8 sars "Then Larag fell and the kingship was taken to Zimbir."En-men-dur-ana5 sars and 5 ners "Then Zimbir fell and the kingship was taken to
Shuruppak
"Ubara-Tutu5 sars and 1 ner
"Then the flood swept over."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumerian_King_List
Note King Dumuzid (Tammuz) is still the name of a month in the Hebrew and Arab calendars.
It's not hard to imagine what a great flood meant to a low lying civilisation build on the delta of two great rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates. The flood was a real event, a deluge that temporarily turned the region into a sea and probably killed a lot of people. It's also likely that Noah, also known as Ziusudra and Artrahasis and Utnapishtim was a king of the city of Shuruppak (the last city mentioned in the king list before the flood) and his ark was very likely a traditional Sumerian house made of reeds which could float on the waters. You can read a slightly later version of the flood story in the tablet xi of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
http://m.sparknotes.com/lit/gilgamesh/section9.rhtml
The Christians understand very little of the stories they tell but ancient Sumer (situated in southern Iraq) was the source of many of them. Abraham was said to have been born in Sumer and the modern country Iraq was named after the city of Gilgamesh. It remains a place worthy of endless study and fascination (instead of bombing and continuous destruction).
Via Ramin Honary
Not to mention the archaeological evidence of a Flood https://ncse.com/cej/8/2/flood-mesopotamian-archaeological-evidence Flooding was endemic
ReplyDeleteThe book that lied to followers and expect to teach moral values while telling you of murders, killings, vangenance Gods wrath to keep you in the flock looks more and more like Satanic verses.
ReplyDeleteThe meme is actually correct, though, isn't it? Because the Bible calls for a global flood, which didn't happen?
ReplyDeleteThe Bible is just the fan-fiction version with some original character inserts.
ReplyDeleteWell let's be pragmatic about this. It's all fine and well to shriek "the whole world!" in the era of the plane and automobile. Even during the railroad and steamship, humanity's mobility was extremely limited.
ReplyDeleteSo yes, to ancient civilizations seeing nothing but devastating floods (Oh by the way, modern society still can't cope with it, people die in floods all the time) it would appear to be the whole world.
The real significance is that some historian of the era was actually educated enough to write it down. It was historical win, that only a few are wise enough to recognize. That's what should be notable, not that you, in your enlightened knowledgeable judgment, think you're better.
Unless you happen to one of very few aged, never forget that regardless of your religious or not affiliation, political party, race or nation, you still sat in a pile of you own shit until someone else wiped your ass within the last century. π
The largest flood of that area was what caused the Dead Sea. The rest was more than likely tall tale style exaggeration.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Barber I understand the distinction and that was kind of my point. The Bible is supposed to be the word of God, right? And, in it, God told the characters that he was going to flood the world? An omnipotent God wouldn't miss the distinction of global versus regional sized events.
ReplyDeleteIt has been years since I've studied the flood story, so please correct me if I am not remembering it accurately.
Sean M not one time does it say that. Old testament was a series of stories that were shaped by God's interventions. If you subscribe to Christianity, those stories were supposed to be additional books written by his disciples. Not one time was it by God, closest I believe is the 10 commandments Moses brought back from speaking with God, I think.
ReplyDeleteLike it or not, those crude guidelines probably ordered society enough that your ancestors survived long enough to continue the bloodline.
History is just full of ironies. π
Here, here. As a person who's loved paleontology their entire life, I saw the conflict years ago and am gratified to see it here as a vindication.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Barber I'll take your word for it. :p
ReplyDeleteThey also stole An and Anu the sky daddy; the dome covered flat Earth and the waters above and below and all that from the Sumerian mythology.
ReplyDeleteCraig Froehle society probably would have ceased to exist without it during the Black Plague. Twice. As bad as the corruption was, without the church, Europe would have collapsed completely. Greece and Rome both fell under far less strain. π
ReplyDeleteAnthony Barber I don't see how Christianity saved Europe from the Plague. Twice.
ReplyDeleteBecause if they let science take its course it would have been only once. Viva christianity.
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to understand that one too Craig Froehle
ReplyDeleteCraig Froehle Because they followed cuneiform law or the twelve tables of roman law before Christianity so it was lawless? Not getting it.
ReplyDelete